The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is seen as it is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is seen at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

With famed St. Basil's Cathedral serving as a backdrop, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency pose for pictures May 8 during a ceremonial tour of Red Square in Moscow.

Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

With the statue of Vladimir Lenin serving as a backdrop, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency answer questions from reporters May 16 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

The activity marked the departure of the crew for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final preparations for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft and the start of a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency suits up for a dress rehearsal exercise May 17, 2013, during a suited "fit check".

Luca Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-mission on the International Space Station.

In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency checks his gloves during a portion of a suited dress rehearsal "fit check" exercise May 17, 2013.

Luca Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-mission on the International Space Station.

Luca Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-mission on the International Space Station.

Luca Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-mission on the International Space Station.

Luca Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-mission on the International Space Station.

Outside their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 36/37 prime and backup crew members conducted the traditional raising of flags of their countries and host country Kazakhstan, 18 May, 2013, as they prepare for the launch of NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Outside their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 36/37 prime and backup crew members conducted the traditional raising of flags of their countries and host country Kazakhstan, 18 May, 2013, and participated in other ceremonies.

From left to right are prime Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, prime Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, prime Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and backup crew members Mikhail Tyurin, Rick Mastracchio of NASA and Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for launch 29 May, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

In the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency strikes a pose during an exercise session 22 May, 2013.

Luca Parmitano, NASA Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin will launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-mission on the International Space Station.

The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is seen as it is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

The launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers; Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday May 29, Kazakh time.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) of Russia's Federal Space Agency and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency pose for pictures, 24 May, 2013, in front of the first stage engines of their Soyuz rocket in the Integration Facility.

The three earlier participated in the final "fit check" dress rehearsal by the prime and backup crews. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano are preparing for launch, 29 May, 2013, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Credits: NASA–V. Zelentsov

Volare mission

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and crewmates Fyodor Yurchikhin and Karen Nyberg were launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 20:31:24 GMT on 28 May 2013 (22:31:24 CEST 28 May; 02:31:24 local time 29 May) on their mission to the International Space Station.

They reached orbit nine minutes later and are scheduled to dock with the orbital outpost at 02:17 GMT (04:17 CEST) on 29 May.

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November.